The Unexpected Riddle
by Angel Quill
Summary: Will the Wizarding world be able to prevent a second dark lord uprising? Megan Leddir goes to Hogwarts and uncovers age old secrets, along with discovering her own lost history in a certain underground chamber. Riddle's daughter, set in Harry's second year. Good!Tom, Seperate!Voldy
1. Prologue: Meet Megan

**Just a quick note: '**_parseltongue'_

'**Author's notes'**

'Sign/letter'

**Now let's get started, enjoy!**

**The Unexpected Riddle**

Ever dreamed of doing magic? Finishing your homework with a click of your fingers? Cleaning your laundry without getting out of bed? There's a reason it's so coveted, but what would you do for it? Give up your family, wealth, life (not necessarily in that order)? Well, this is my life, the life of Megan Leddir. Welcome to my world. Please try to stay alive.

1988, 14 July. Long Island, New York

Bright flames licked the dark night sky. The hot scent of smoke and ashes choked the large crowd surrounding the burning building. "The children're all out, but the fire's not going down!" a fire-fighter cried out desperately to his team mates, covered in sweat and ash. A large burnt sign with the words "Long Island Childrens' Home" crashed to the ground, barring the entrance. Red-clad men aimed large hoses, trying to put out the fire, but to no avail.

No one noticed the small seven-year-old girl standing at the edge of the crowd in all the chaos. She watched with horror and sick fascination, a small spark dancing in the palm of her hand

Continents away, a young emerald-eyed boy curled up in the corner of his cupboard, crocodile tears leaving tracks in the dirt on his face.

4 years later, England

A vortex of orange, pink and blue swirled up in the dim evening sky. I leaned back against the sun warmed wall, closing my eyes as I relaxed, away from the ruckus in the building. A small green garden snake slithered up to me and wound itself around my left arm, seeking heat from the cold weather. A normal, sane person would have run away screaming bloody murder. However, I was not normal. I was pretty sure I was sane though. I think. I discovered I could speak to snakes when I was seven. The cupcakes had been scared out of me when a boa constrictor started crying about the beauty of Brazil in the zoo. Which was strange because it had been bred in captivity.

I could also do many other freaky things. Once, as I was running from the bullies, Inez, Melinda, and Gracia, I suddenly found myself two hundred metres away in the back garden of the orphanage. Yes, I lived in an orphanage. Wool's orphanage for girls was probably the most dreary, spirit-crushing place in the whole of England. I lived in a children's home in New York for seven years, giving me an American accent. Something happened, and since I had an English passport, I got carted off to gloomy "_fancy a cup of tea?_"' England. I was just waiting for my eighteenth birthday when I could leave this dump forever.

Today was the first of July. Mrs Grace, the sixty year-old caretaker (I don't know why they call her that, the only thing she takes care of is her kitchen), conducted spot checks on everyone's rooms. I preferred to keep out of everyone's way, sitting by the small pond in the garden. Well, it wasn't really a pond. More like a large grubby puddle.

Suddenly, I heard a flapping of wings behind me…

**Cliffhanger! But you guys probably already know what's coming ;) *wink* Sorry if the story is a little slow at first, but it will get more exciting, so please stick with me. Chapters will also get longer, this is just the intro. Free virtual Redvines to those who read & review! It really means a lot to me :D Next chappie coming up soon!**

**P.S. I would appreciate constructive criticism **


	2. Good thing it wasn't guano!

**Chapter 2**

_**Before:**_

_Suddenly, I heard the flutter of wings behind me… _

It was an owl! This owl must have had serious insomnia to be flying around in the daytime. I wasn't sure what breed it was, but it was gorgeous. Long silky ebony feathers covered it, the darkest ones above and the lighter coloured ones at the end of its large wings. It had round amber eyes that seemed to stare into my soul, reading my mind. Whoa, since when had I gotten so poetic? Okay, Shakespeare moment over. I admired the mired itowl for a while, but it must have been grouchy because I didn't think the bird was so pretty after it went "SCREECH!" in my ear.

"Stupid birdbrain! I'm going to feed you to the snake!" I yelled threateningly at it. The owl just gave me a haughty look and made a sudden dive toward me, dropped something on my head, then swooped off, screeching ear-shatteringly one last time for good measure. I ducked just in time. I swore I could feel its sharp talons grabbing at my hair. Moments later, it was soaring fifty feet away in the air. I could not do anything but glare at its receding silhouette. Well, at least the thing it dropped on me wasn't guano.

I knelt down to pick it up. It was a yellowing envelop with a fancy wax seal, made of...what was it called….parched? Parchment! Seriously, who still used parchment? This is the twentieth century people. But it got even weirder, if possible. On the front of the letter, this was written in green ink:

To Ms M. Leddir

Beside the Pond.

Wool's Orphanage for girls,

410 Vauxhall Road, LONDON

What the…? Alright, so far my conclusion was that a crazy stalker watched my every move, trained an owl to send letters in the day and even found some parchment just to send me a letter. Very realistic, I know. I broke the seal, opening the letter, which said:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster Dumbledore. (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc, Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Ms Leddir.

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

What kind of sick joke was this? Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

I was shocked speechless. In the envelop was another piece of parchment, sort of like a booklist. There were things like "plain robes", "cauldrons", and "Magical Theory by Adabert Waffling". Holy (insert swear word of choice here).

Just then, something else fell out of the yellowing envelop and slowly drifted to the ground. It was a small note saying:

Dear Ms Leddir 

As you have grown up in a muggle background, a member of the Hogwarts staff will arrive in a few days to introduce you to the wizarding world and escort you to Diagon Alley to purchase your school supplies.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Was this all really true? Did magic exist? I would have to wait to find out.

3 days later, Hogwarts, Staffroom

"Severus! Just the person I was looking for!" Minerva McGonagall exclaimed to a tall dark figure. "Yes?" Severus Snape replied irritably. He didn't visit the staffroom often, choosing to avoid his colleagues unless he absolutely had to. In this case, he had thought the room was empty and had been grading papers, leaving devastating remarks with his red quill.

"Could you do some of the housecalls for the muggleborns? Albus and I are busy selecting DADA candidates and everyone else has gone home for the holidays, except for Trelawney, and we cannot possibly send her!" Minerva said, slightly desperate. Severus could see that there was no way out of this, as there was really no one else. He gritted his teeth. He was going to regret this.

"Very well, give me the address and I will get it out of the way today."

" Thank you, Severus! Here is the address. This child is not a muggleborn, but an orphan. I have already done the rest of them. Try not to scare her too much, will you?" the professor said, then hurried off before he could change his mind, visibly relieved.

"What did I just get myself into…" he groaned.

**I just went to the Harry Potter Exhibition over the weekend, it was awesome! Those in Singapore, go check it out at the artscience museum. It's the biggest one yet! Only until 30 Sept. Or June. I can't remember.**

**Okay, now some explanations: Firstly, yes Megan lives in the same place Tom used to. I put the address as 410 Vauxhall Road because Tom got his diary (which he made into a horcrux) at a shop on 422 Vauxhall Road, so I put the orphanage near that address.**

**Secondly, I'm not too sure when those born in Sept-Dec get their letter, so I just put the letter scene on the 1****st**** of July. Also, there are many different versions of letters, so I'm just going with the original one that JK Rowling wrote.**

**Thirdly (wow, this is a long list), I'm also not sure of how magical orphans (not muggleborns) find out about the wizarding world. Does a teacher go explain it to them or something?**

**So, if you know the answers to those Qs, just drop me a message or something. K'thxbye!**

**P.S. 5 reviews and I'll update faster. Yay! 50 and I'll have to update it in, like, 2 hours. Hehehe.**


	3. BackToWizardSchool shopping

**Chapter 3**

It had been a week since that weird letter. I sat on my bed in my own room, tracing small notches carved into the bed by someone else. It looked like marks prisoners used to count days in prison, rather ironic. My train of thought was suddenly interrupted by someone knocking on the door, which was strange because everyone usually stayed clear of me.

"Mrs Grace w-wants to see you in her office, M-megan," Gayle stuttered out before bolting like the devil himself was chasing her. Hehehe. I did have that effect on people when I wanted to. I wondered what Mrs Grace wanted. Maybe she was trying to get me admitted to some loony farm again. _That _usually ended well. I entered the west wing of the orphanage where Mrs Grace's office was. Everything was way fancier and newer, mostly for show to potential parents and visitors.

I was surprised when I got to the office. There was a tall dark man (not as romantic as it sounds, trust me) in there with Mrs Grace. He had shoulder-length black hair that looked extremely oily and a sallow complexion. He wore a black business suit and glared at me with onyx eyes, above a rather large nose and a tight-lipped grimace

"I'll just leave the two of you then," she said, slightly too cheerily, then left the slightly stuffy office. If she was happy, it definitely wasn't good news for me. I plonked down on an overstuffed armchair. Might as well make myself comfortable. Tall, dark and grouchy glared at me. He did look pretty scary.

"I assume you have received your Hogwarts acceptance letter?" He finally said to me in a deep baritone. So it really was real!

"Yes," I replied with a straight face, but couldn't help feeling euphoric inside. "I got it a week ago."

"I am Professor Severus Snape, a member of the Hogwarts staff. You may refer to me as professor or sir. I am to bring you to Diagon Alley to purchase your school supplies," he said (or sneered) to me.

"How do I know you're not lying?" I asked him. I had to be sure. I had been let down far too many times. Professor Snape looked annoyed, but took out a stick, waved it and said something like ' wingardium leviosa'. Suddenly, a pen floated off the desk without anyone touching it. To say I was shocked would be an understatement.

"Now you have your proof, let's go get your things. I don't have all day," he sneered.

We left the stuffy office and headed out. Professor Snape walked soundlessly with large strides, which made it hard for me to keep pace. Inez saw us as we were leaving and smirked, probably thinking I was being taken to some asylum. I glared at her, then looked from her up to the heavy lights above her, as if aiming where to drop them. It was a happy coincidence that the wind started blowing, making them sway back and forth. She gave a shrill shriek and turned tail. What a bimbo. Just then, I noticed Snape watching us from the corner of his eyes. He quickly turned away, like nothing ever happened, his pace increasing.

We walked out to the streets into a deserted alley. Now I almost had to run to keep up with Snape's long strides.

"Take my arm," he instructed me.

"What?"

"I will not repeat myself." He said impatiently, and held his arm out to me. I took it gingerly, wondering what he was going to do. Suddenly, I felt like I was being squeezed through a tight rubber tube. When I opened my eyes, which I hadn't realised I closed, I saw that we were standing directly in front of dingy bar, very different from the alleyway we were in. A dirty old sign above it read: The Leaky Cauldron.

"Congratulations, you have just side-along apparated for the first time," Snape said, voice loaded with sarcasm. He then stepped into The Leaky Cauldron, leaving me outside to deal with the shock and nausea, maybe annoyance at him as well.

The man behind the counter in the bar greeted us as we stepped in. "Mornin' Professor Snape! What can I get'cha?"

"Just passing through, Tom," Snape replied, not exactly friendly.

"Ah, bringin' Firsties eh? I remember when…" Tom chattered on. Snape didn't seem to be in the mood to listen to idle chatter and swept out of the bar to a brick wall with several trashcans. I followed silently. What was he going to do this time, part the wall to the next backyard?

He took out what must have been his wand and touched a brick on the scummy wall. The whole wall parted, showing not the next yard, but a large street bustling with people

"This is Diagon Alley," Snape explained. I hardly heard him. The only thing in my mind at that moment was 'wooooow'. Witches and wizards walked around in cloaks. Snape's suit was replaced by a long billowy black cloak. Stores such as 'Slug and Jiggers' and 'Ollivander Wands' lined the sides.

First, we entered 'Madam Malkin's robes for all occasions'. A measuring tape flew around me, measuring me from head to toe. An elderly witch whom I supposed was Madam Malkin took down the measurements on some parchment. Everything in the Wizarding world was pretty ancient. They didn't even have normal white paper. I wondered if they had toilet paper. If they had to use toilet parchment, no wonder they were so wacky.

I stood on a stool, feeling like Barbie doll, Halloween edition, as I was dressed in different robes and cloaks. Snape had taken this chance to go into someplace called Knockturn Alley. When he came back he stood outside the shop window. He totally knew I was uncomfortable and I could have sworn I saw him smirking when I shot him a look.

Next, we went to get my trunk, cauldrons, telescopes, brass scales and other odd objects a witch in training would need. I learned that the Ministry of Magic actually paid for the supplies as I was an orphan. Snape had withdrawn my money from Gringotts wizarding bank for me and also opened a vault in my name. He also explained, rather unwillingly, that wizards used Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts as money. 29 sickles made a knut, and 17 knuts made a galleon. In my opinion they were all nuts.

My arms were full of bags and equipment by the time we reached the store 'Ollivander Wands'. I was extremely tempted to ask Snape to use his magical stick to shrink my purchases or something. He, quite obviously, did not offer to help carry anything, the selfish arse.

I entered the shop by myself as Snape opted to remain outside. The shop seemed to make him slightly nervous, and he eyed it cautiously.

"Errm… Excuse me? Hellooo! " I said daringly, and maybe slightly too loud. An old man suddenly appeared out of a stack of musty old boxes.

"I-I'm here to get my wand," I stuttered again. He was seriously creepy. No wonder Snape wanted to wait outside.

"Which is your wand hand?" he asked in a creaky voice.

"I'm…right-handed?" I replied, unsure what he meant.

A measuring tape started flying around and measuring me like in Madam Malkin's. It measured everything, from the length of each finger to the space between my nostrils. The old man, who I assumed was Ollivander, ran his hand along one of the shelves and took down a long box. Inside was a light brown wand with patterns carved into the sides. He offered it to me.

"Eleven inches, willow and unicorn hair, flexible"

I took it gingerly, feeling like I was holding a bomb. I could feel the feeling I had just before I did something freaky, like drop a chandelier on someone, that feeling of power. This was different though. The power felt like it would just explode out violently if I moved.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Wave it!" Ollivander said to me. Tense, I moved the wand slightly. A wave of force exploded out with a bang, putting out the lights as shelves fell backwards and the door almost blew off its rusty hinges. Ollivander stood up shakily, his hair looking like Einstein's. I dropped the cracked wand on the counter hastily.

"Sorry! I…" How could I apologise for something I didn't even understand?

"No worries, it happens many times, but never have I seen it so strong before," he looked at me thoughtfully through furrowed brows.

This process was repeated countless times, each with varied, but equally destructive results. Once, an impatient Snape had peeked in to see what was taking so long. He had quickly gone back out, greasy hair smoking and crooked nose burnt.

When I thought the shop could finally take no more, Ollivander came out with another wand. This one was pure black, with a few lines of fiery red and gold.

"Thirteen inches, elder and phoenix feather. Slightly flexible"

Bracing myself, I touched it. Suddenly, four foot high purple flames sprang up around me. I could feel the magic and power circulating through the wand. _My_ wand. I had finally found one compatible with me.

When looked up, I saw that the whole shop had been repaired. Well, not completely. The shelves had been righted and the door and lights fixed, but the boxes were still piled up on the floor.

"Interesting. Very interesting…" Ollivander said cryptically when the flames died down.

"What?" I asked irritably. I had found a wand and wanted nothing more than to leave the creepy old man and the store.

"The wand you are holding contains two different phoenix feathers. One was found lying in a pool of unicorn blood. The other is leftover strands from the feathers which currently reside in Harry Potter and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's wands. They are both powerful people, perhaps terrible, but great,"Ollivander now looked like he was trying to read into my soul and predict my future.

I couldn't decide what to say. I needed time to digest what he had just told me. Who the hell was He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and Harry Potter?

"Okaaay… Thanks, I guess. How much will that be?" was the best I could come up with at that moment.

"Eight galleons and twelve sickles."

I paid quickly, getting the large coins out of a charmed weightless bag. I do so love magic.

As I walked out of the store, I could still hear him muttering, "Great things, great things indeed…"

And I still had to get to get my books. I wondered what weirdo would be waiting for me this time.

**A/N: Yipee! Supah long chapter that I promised. I also edited a little of the other chapters. Keep reading, my faithful viewers.**

**STORY OF THE MONTH:**

**A Black Comedy**** by nonjon**

**Be sure to check it out! :D**

**Peace out!**


	4. Get ready for school!

_This chapter is dedicated to my good friend Erica, who is now going through chemo._

**Chapter 4**

My back-to-school shopping wasn't over yet. Snape was smart enough to leave the heaviest stuff for last, the books. He led me to Flourish and Blotts, a large gaudy bookstore crowded with witches and wizards. Surprise surprise, apparently wizards _really_ loved to read. It was like the Queen herself was inside the store, with all the people struggling to get in. Or maybe someone just as famous…

GILDEROY LOCKHART

will be signing copies of his autobiography

MAGICAL ME

today 12:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.

The large purple banner was hung right above the entrance of the store. I then realised that the crowd was made mostly of thirty to forty year old witches. A harassed looking wizard stood at the doorway saying," Calmly please, ladies… Don't push there… Mind the books now…" A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books.

Snape got us in fairly well, as most people avoided him. I know I would, with his intimidating looks and dark imposing figure. I grabbed the books I needed and fought my way through the crowds to the counter, which, unfortunately, happened to be near Gilderoy Lockhart's table. It was surrounded by large pictures of the guy, flashing twinkling smiles at his adoring fans. Just then, the blonde himself appeared at the table. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that matched his eyes; his pointy wizard's hat set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair. A short fat and stinky man was jumping around taking photographs with a large old-fashioned camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

Suddenly, Lockhart spotted something and his eyes lit up like Christmas had come early.

"It can't be Harry Potter?" he shouted.

Who was that? His favourite nephew? The crowd parted, whispering excitedly. Maybe he was some other really famous fellow. I had an image of a hairy guy making pots. Wizards had seriously weird names. Lockhart leapt forward and pulled the hairy-I mean, _Harry Potter _with him. The crowd burst into applause. The poor boy's face was bright scarlet as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, now clicking away, filling the stuffy store with thick smoke. The Harry guy tried to sidle back, but Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders, clamping him tightly to his side.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!"

"When young Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography-which I will be happy to present him now free of charge-" the crowd applauded again. "He had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses fall to the end of his nose. "that he would be getting much, much more than my book _Magical Me_. He and his schoolmates will be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen. I have great pleasure in announcing that this September, I will be taking the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

The crowd cheered and clapped as Harry was presented the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering slightly under their weight, he managed to make his way out of the limelight and into the corner of the room.

Professor Snape stood behind me, glaring up at them, muttering something about attention seekers and vain brats. I figured he wasn't a big fan.

…{*}…

As we exited the store, we saw a fight break out between two men, one with long white silver-blond hair and one with bright red hair. An enormous hairy man suddenly marched towards them He was _really_ huge! Like adult elephant huge. "Break it up, there, gents, break it up-" he said, and pulled them apart easily like kittens. The blonde guy thrust a shabby old book he had been holding to a red-haired girl, saying something I couldn't hear, eyes glittering with malice.

On that good note, we headed back to the orphanage. We took the usual way back, the one that involved nausea and touching the giant bat vampire. If a tall dark guy ever asks you to take is hand in a alley, DON'T DO IT. Trust me on this.

Funnily enough, Snape kindly informed me that I could chuck all my school stuff into my trunk cause it had an engorgement charm on it. AFTER we got back. Wasn't that considerate of him not to tell me earlier.

"Here is your ticket," Snape said, handing me a golden embossed ticket with the words 'Hogwarts Express' on it. Your caretaker has already been instructed to bring you to King's Cross Station on the first of September. The train leaves at 11 o'clock sharp. Do not be late."

With that, he swept off dramatically, leaving me to wonder where platform 9 ¾ was.

**Yes! One more chapter done! Sorry for the loooong wait. Exams are round the corner. Damn that Qin Shihuang (he invented exams)! Anyway, I'd like to shout out a birthday wish: HAVE AN AWESOME BIRTHDAY JANELLE! ^.^ Yes, checkout JanelleR5's work, if you like Glee and R5. **

**So, Megan's going to Hogwarts! I don't have any names down, so review and leave a name and I'll arrange for you to be a friend or something… Ya, that's about it. Thank you, my amazing readers!**

**p.s Exams are coming and I'm gonna be going to Mexico in 2 months, so updates might slow down a little. (My dad padlocking my laptop to his desk also doesn't really help. Can you say extreme?) So just bear with me till New year's eve. I bow down to you. -.-**


	5. Journey to Hogwarts

**Chapter 5**

"_Here is your ticket," Snape said, handing me a golden embossed ticket with the words 'Hogwarts Express' on it. Your caretaker has already been instructed to bring you to King's Cross Station on the first of September. The train leaves at 11 o'clock sharp. Do not be late."_

_With that, he swept off dramatically, leaving me to wonder where Platform 9 ¾ was._

…{*}…

It turned out that I didn't have to attend school (the muggle kind) anymore. Woohoo! Who needed Home econs when you had magic? All the other girls glared at me as they marched off to school in the wee hours of the morning. I smirked back. They deserved it. Besides, I could probably learn the whole education syllabus in a month if I put my head to it.

A month had passed slowly. I had read all my textbooks, even the trashy Lockhart ones. They were all way more interesting than my Algebra textbooks. I would be going to Hogwarts tomorrow. I couldn't wait. My bag (or trunk) was packed and ready to go. _Goodbye boring old muggle world and hello magic!_

…{*}…

The next morning, Mrs Grace drove me to King's Cross station in her million-year- old banana yellow Ford. Thankfully, she drove faster than her normal grandmother paste in her hurry to get rid of me. We soon reached King's Cross, the car hazardously puffing grey smoke from the bonnet. The moment I stepped out of the banana-mobile with my trunk, Mrs Grace drove off with a "See you in a few months!" and a dust cloud.

I walked into the station, taking out my ticket for the Hogwarts Express. Where the heck was Platform 9 ¾? Platform 9, platform 10, absolutely nothing in between.

Just then, I saw a family of three walk by. They were totally normal, except for the fact that their hair was impossibly blonde. They were also wearing very expensive clothes, a little too posh for a train station. I recognized the oldest man as Blondie from Flourish and Blotts, the bookstore in Diagon Alley. He held his head so high I doubt he could even see where he was walking, and looked around in distaste. Suddenly, they changed direction and walked towards a barrier just before platform 10. They kept walking, not stopping even when they hit the barrier. What happened next made me think I was hallucinating. They passed right through the barrier! Was _that_ the way to the mysterious platform?

I walked up to the barrier and stuck my hand in it. Sure enough, it went right through. I backed up a few feet then charged towards it, involuntarily flinching. Fortunately, I slipped right through smoothly like it was an illusion.

A magnificent sight greeted me. A large gold and maroon engine puffed smoke from its tracks, with witches and wizards of all ages wearing cloaks and robes, sending children off or boarding the train. Many of the children had pets like owls and toads and rats in cages, with several cats stalking around their ankles. It was a bustling magical station of wonders. I was so overwhelmed I almost got banged by the next person going through the barrier. I wished that I had gotten a pet, but I didn't think Mrs Grace would like it much and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to take care of it well anyway. I didn't want to be an owl murderer so soon!

I had no idea where I was supposed to be so I followed the old saying: When in Rome, do as Romans do, or something like that. I followed the kids that looked my age and boarded the train, minus the wet goodbye scene. Since it was still rather early, I found an empty compartment easily. There was still around twenty minutes till the train left so I took out a spare marker I had in my bag and doodled dragons and witchy hats onto the front page of Lockart's "Voyages with Vampires."

…{*}…

Soon, the sound of the train whistle signalled the departure of the train. The Hogwarts Express took off, King's Cross Station drawing further and further away. Just then, the door to the compartment opened, and a bushy brown head popped in.

"Hello, could we sit here? The rest of the compartments are full-"

"or have Slytherins in them" a skinny boy with an Irish accent behind her added with distaste.

"Er… sure," I stuttered, out of sheer social awkwardness.

"Thanks, mate," he said, entering the compartment with the bushy haired girl. Well, at least there were only two of them. Wait… One, two more entered. Now there were four. Great, me and my big mouth.

They were rather noisy. I deduced their names were Hermione, Dean, Seamus and Neville from their friendly conversation. I admit I looked on slightly wistfully. I kinda wished… No! I did not need anyone, friends or no. I had made that mistake once too many. It had cost me too much. I could still recall the flames, getting taller and taller, getting out of control…

"Hey!" My depressing thoughts were interrupted by the Irish guy, Seamus, calling me.

"Yes?" I said snapped.

"I said, what's your name?" he was slightly put off by my snippy reply.

"Megan Leddir," I replied, regretting my tone.

"I'm Hermione, that's Seamus, Neville, and Dean. We're second year Gryffindors…"

We struck up a friendly conversation, and the Hogwarts Express arrived at its destination in what seemed like no time at all.

The large majestic train pulled up at the Hogsmeade station with huge puffs of smoke. After changing into Hogwarts uniform, I got off the express, feeling rather lost as to where to go next. I squinted into the smoky darkness, about to follow my new friends, well, acquaintances, when I heard a hoarse voice shout out "Firs' years! Firs' years here!"

"Follow Hagrid. Don't worry; he's very kind at heart." Hermione told me.

I wondered what she meant by that but soon found out. Hagrid turned out to be that very large man from Flourish and Blotts that stopped the fight. If I hadn't seen that, I probably would have been pretty terrified. Way to go Dumbledore, send a terrifying giant-man to greet little first years. We're feeling right at home all ready. Or maybe I'm just sensitive.

Hagrid led us to a dark lake. I could see small row boat bobbing up and down in the light of Hagrid's lamp.

"Get in, four to a boat"

We climbed into the small boats, rocking them dangerously. Three girls climbed in with me. One was red headed wearing a faded grey cloak with several patches while the other two were decked out in jewellery and looked rather snooty with upturned noses. I wondered how the boats moved as they had no oars. Just then, they pushed off the docks themselves and cruised silently across the lake, startling me so that I almost fell overboard. The two snotty beauty queens snickered.

"Filthy Muggleborns," I heard one whisper. I scowled at them while the red head looked at me in sympathy. I was about to make a retort when Hogwarts came into view. The amazing view from the lake took my breath away. The castle rose from the distance majestically, lighting up the lake. It looked very much like the castle in Disneyland from a postcard I once saw.

The boats soon docked. "All righ'! Everyone out!" Hagrid yelled. We got off the tiny boats, almost falling in the lake again. We were led into the beautiful stone castle in front of two large intricately carved cedar doors.

With a bang, the doors opened suddenly. Behind them, stood an elderly witch in a black cloak and a pointed hat.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!"

…{*}…

**Hola! (Is that how you spell it?)I'm back! I'm so sorry it took so long. I'm in Mexico now, and exams are over! I really tried for a longer chapter, *casm, and thank you to *Birds on the Sunset for your advice ****. I'll try to update faster from now on, cause I know you awesome readerz have probably forgotten what this story is about. Thank you amazing readers, for your patience.**

**PS: There's something wrong with the document manager so if there's some errors in the chapters it's probably that. I always use spellcheck :P**


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